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The Indianapolis Colts surprised everyone on Tuesday by announcing that Daniel Jones will begin the 2025 season as their starting quarterback, not Anthony Richardson. The shocking decision causes many to believe what Stephen A. Smith said out loud.
The 23-year-old Richardson still has a lot of potential time left, but his window is quickly closing, Smith said on ESPN's ‘First Take.' Smith claimed that the announcement now puts Richardson's career “in jeopardy.”
“Anthony Richardson's football career is in jeopardy,” Smith said. “If Daniel Jones is named the Colts' starting quarterback for Week 1, boy, does that show a lack of faith in Richardson, who they spent a top-four pick on. It's bad for him. There's nobody out here who believes that Daniel Jones is a worthy starter for your franchise. We know he can do some things, but his career with the New York Giants is 24-44-1 as a starter. We've seen more blooper reels from Daniel Jones than highlights.”
.@stephenasmith reacts to Daniel Jones being named the starting QB for the Colts:
"Anthony Richardson's football career is in jeopardy. … Boy, does that show a lack of faith in Richardson who they spent a top-four pick on." pic.twitter.com/cjkWXFsoUT
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 19, 2025
The Colts signed Jones in free agency after his disastrous 2024 campaign with the New York Giants. The Giants benched him during their Week 11 bye and subsequently released him at his request. Jones ended the year on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad.
While many similar quarterbacks have enjoyed career resurgences on different teams — including Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Geno Smith — Jones is a different case. The 28-year-old had six years as a starter in New York to prove himself and has just one mildly successful season to his name.
What to make of Colts' Daniel Jones quarterback decision
Unfortunately for Richardson, Smith's assessment is accurate. Jones is not who any team envisions as their starting quarterback, particularly with the way his career with the Giants went.
While Jones led the Giants to a 9-7 record in 2022, including a playoff victory over the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings, it was mostly a testament to Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka's coaching rather than anything he did. New York quickly regretted giving Jones a $160 million extension in the ensuing offseason.
However, while Richardson is a big play waiting to happen, he is an equally significant turnover threat. Richardson is athletic and dynamic with the ball in his hands, but has thrown just 11 touchdowns in his 15-game career, as opposed to 13 interceptions.
His up-and-down career dates back to his days at Florida, where he did not appear to be a future NFL superstar. The Colts drafted Richardson based on his athletic profile, NFL Combine numbers and physical potential more than his actual skill set, a move that has clearly backfired.
